Railway truck bolster structure



July 15, 1958 J. C. TRAVILLA ETAL RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1953 July 15, 1953 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 2,843,058

' RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER STRUCTURE Filed April 8, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 July 15, 1958 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 8, 1953 \1 W Rv N D v M J @M 0 I w mmflmw /////l. W V

United States Patent RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTER STRUCTURE James C. Travilla, University City, and Julius J. Zach, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, 11]., a corporation of Dela= ware Application April 8, 1953, Serial No. 347,468

Claims. (Cl. 105-230) The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to railway truck structure of the type including spaced cross bolsters supported from the truck frame and a central member extending between and carried on the cross bolsters and supporting the vehicle body.

One object of the invention is to provide a rigid central bearing for the vehicle body having a width sufiicient to avoid rocking the vehicle body upon the truck bolster without requiring the usual side bearings.

Another object is to hold the truck and the body mounted thereon against undesired swiveling movement on straight track but providing a central bearing of the type described with frictional contact with the associated body bearing suflicient to resist swivel movement except when induced by travel of the vehicle over curved track.

Another object is to maintain a low center of gravity for the central bearing and the load thereon, notwithstanding the use of the features referred to above in a six wheel truck, in which the central bearing is positioned over the middle axle of the truck.

These objects are attained by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of one longitudinal half of a six wheel truck with a portion sectioned on line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is in part a side elevation and in part a longitudinal vertical section of the truck and is taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and shows a portion of the vehicle body underframe.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top view corresponding to Figure 1 but showing another form of the invention. A portion of the structure is sectioned horizontally as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a side elevation and longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The truck shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 includes three axles 1, 2, 3 mounting wheels 4 and journal boxes 5. Drop equalizers 6 extend between adjacent journal boxes at the same side of the truck and mount equalizer springs 7 upon which rest the wheel pieces 8 of the truck frame, which also includes spaced pairs of transverse transoms 9, positioned intermediate the middle axle 2 and each end axle. Swing hangers 10 are suspended from the truck frame near opposite ends of transoms 9 and support spring planks 11, carrying bolster springs 12.

Supported upon springs 12 at opposite sides of the truck are cross bolsters 13 and mounted upon cross bolsters 13 is a center bolster including longitudinal beams 14 spaced apart transversely of the truck and having a general Z-shape in cross section (Figure 3). The intermediate portions of beams 14 are substantially deeper than the end portions and are connected by spaced Patented July 15, 1958 apart transverse members 15 of box section, the lower webs 15a of which merge with the lower webs 14a of the longitudinal beams. The transverse member upper webs 15b and their vertical webs 15c merge with the vertical webs 140 of the longitudinal beams.

About the vertical center axis A of the center bolster is an arcuate upright web 16 merging with the inner upright webs 150 which are arcuately indented at 15d (Figure 1) to folm with Web 16 a continuous circular upright pivotal bearing web. A horizontal web 17 extends between and merges with the inner upright walls 150 and is positioned intermediate the levels of the lower webs 15a and the upper webs 15b.

The transverse member upper webs 15b extend between and beyond webs 15c to form an upwardly facing annulus projecting radially outwardly from web 16 to form a load-supporting horizontal bearing substantially above the level of the lower portion of the pivotal bearing and mounting the vehicle body center structure B, which includes a depending circular web B, cooperating with the truck bolster circular web 16 to hold the body and truck bolster against lateral or longitudinal displacement.

Preferably circular webs 16, 15d, B correspond in diameter to the usual railway truck and body center plates which surround other elements forming upwardly and downwardly facing bearings supporting the vehicle on the truck. In the present structure, the relatively large diameter truck central bearing annulus and the associated body member hold the body against rocking on the truck bolster during all normal uses of the vehicle and avoids the necessity of the usual side bearings on the truck and body and for maintaining stability of the body. However, bars 18, extending between the outer ends of cross bolsters 13, provide safety stops 18a spaced a short distance from adjacent downward projections 19 on the vehicle body underframe to avoid dangerous, excessive tilting of the vehicle body on the truck in the event of derailment. Furthermore, the large opposing surfaces of the truck annulus and the body bearing resting thereon provide sliding friction suflicient to resist swiveling of the truck and body during all normal uses of the vehicle except swiveling induced by movement of the vehicle over curved track. Hence, the structure avoids shimmying or nosing of the truck in travel on straight track.

' A renewable liner 19 may be inserted between the bearcomprises cross bolsters 30 and longitudinals 31 merging with the sides of cross bolsters 30. Members 30 and 31 are of box section. The upper webs 31b of the 10ngitudinals extend towards and merge with each other at thecenter of the truck to form a large, flat, annular bearing 33 for the vehicle body. The inner upright Web 310 of each longitudinal is curved towards the longitudinal center;

line of the truck to merge with the opposite inner webof the other longitudinal at 32. A central upright cylindrical web 34 merges with lower webs 31a and upper webs 31b. The upper portion of web 34 forms a central pivot bearing for receiving a similarly cylindrical depend- .ing web 35 on the vehicle body underframe F. A horizontal web 36 braces web 34 and is provided with a central opening 37 for a center pin, not shown.

The downwardly facing portion 35a of web 35 is spaced from web 36 and does not contribute to the support of The truck, bolster is positioned entirely between transoms 29 and the vehicle body which is carried on the annular bearing extending outwardly from web 34, similarly to the structure previously described. Bars 38 extend between the outer ends of cross bolsters 30 and provide safety stops 38a for limiting excessive tilting of the body on the truck.

The center bolster and associated parts just described correspond in structure to the arrangement shown in Figures 1-3. In both forms of the invention illustrated, the body load is carried by transverse members positioned outwardly of the central pivot, which is spaced below the level of the body support. Hence, the main load-carrying members of the center bolster, carrying the load, may be of deeper section than similar members, as previously used, which extend under the center pivot portion of the bolster, without increasing the height of the body support from the rail.

The details of the structure may be varied otherwise than as shown without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truck bolster, spaced apart, elongated members of box-like cross section, and an upright cylindrical center pivot structure between said members, diametrically opposite portions of said structure merging with upright walls of said box-like sections, the top elements of said box-like sections merging and forming a central bearing support for the bolster load extending radially outwardly from said pivot structure.

2. A railway truck bolster as described in claim 1 which includes an annular load-supporting disc of friction material mounted on said box-like structure and surrounding said center pivot structure.

3. In a railway truck bolster structure, cross bolsters spaced apart longitudinally of the truck, longitudinal members spaced apart transversely of the truck and carried by said cross bolsters, transverse members extending between and supported from said longitudinal members, and a center structure, for swivel connection to a vehicle body, including upright elements for engagement with cooperating elements on a vehicle body positioned wholly between said transverse members and substantially below the level of the tops of said transverse members.

4. A railway truck bolster as described in claim 3 in which the transverse members are substantially box shaped in cross section and their upper portions form vehicle body supporting bearings extending radially outwardly from and surrounding the center pivot structure and above the level of the top of said upright elements.

5. A railway truck bolster comprising a horizontal web having a central vertical opening for receiving a kingpin, an upright web surrounding said horizontal web and projecting upwardly therefrom to form a circular surface for holding a vehicle body center plate against relative lateral movement, there being a horizontal web extending radially from the upper edge of said upright web and forming a support for a vehicle body center plate, vertical webs depending from said latter mentioned horizontal web and extending transversely of the bolster, a lower level horizontal web connecting the lower ends of said vertical webs, said webs [forming members which are box shaped in vertical cross section and are spaced apart transversely of said support and lengthwise of the bolster,

and elongated beam members spaced apart transversely of the bolster and extending from said support lengthwise of the bolster and mounting the ends of said box-shaped members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,102,620 Westlake July 7, 1914 1,178,098 Pilcher Apr. 4, 1916 1,628,839 Haskell May 17, 1927 1,781,253 Spencer Nov. 11, 1930 2,019,312 Krautheim Oct. 29, 1935 2,047,251 Bender July 4, 1936 

